The SFCP Library was established to serve the members and candidates of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, and to educate other mental health professionals and the public at large on the discipline of psychoanalysis. The library collection holds books, journals and other materials for the study of psychoanalysis in theoretical, applied and clinical applications. Library services include, but are not limited to, acquisition of books.

Community Membership is a new category of membership at SFCP established in 2008 that was created to enrich and broaden the Center by inviting psychoanalytic psychotherapists in the Bay Area to join SFCP. We welcome mental health clinicians and students of all disciplines and levels of experience into our Community Membership.

SFCP Psychoanalytic Education Division - Supervision Policies

SFCP Psychoanalytic Education Division
Supervision Policies

by William Glover, Ph.D., Chair, Psychoanalytic Education Division

The Psychoanalytic Education Division has been reviewing Supervision Policies over the past year. In order to optimize the analytic training experience at SFCP, a policy was adopted in the fall of 2012 requiring weekly supervision of training cases until graduation. In recognition that individual circumstances warrant flexibility, the PED has been discussing revisions to the policy. This discussion has led us to articulate the educational philosophy guiding our supervision policies as well as take up the related issues of analytic process, immersion, and what constitutes a case that is creditable towards graduation.

Philosophy Guiding Supervision Policies
Supervision of analytic training cases is a central part of analytic training at SFCP. The goal is to help candidates become proficient at conducting analyses throughout all the phases of analytic work. To meet this goal, candidates need extensive experience in conducting analyses while being supervised. While we do not have a terminated case requirement for graduation, we do expect candidates to have significant supervised experience during the middle phase of analysis. Although some analytic cases may demonstrate an analytic process in the first two years and be considered creditable toward graduation, for many cases two years only covers the beginning phase of analysis and continued supervision into the middle phase of analysis is required.

Therefore, to provide an optimal training experience, supervision of training cases at SFCP is expected to continue on a weekly basis until approval for graduation. As a candidate progresses, however, allowance for flexibility is provided by the Modified Frequency and Unsupervised Work policies described below. These policies should only apply when they are consistent with a candidates training needs and therefore the decision to grant them requires the involvement of the PGC where all of a candidate’s supervisors can consider the request in the light of the candidate’s overall learning experience.

We are aware that existing supervisions may have already evolved into meeting on a less than weekly basis. In these circumstances we ask that supervisor and candidate review their arrangement in light of the revised policy which emphasizes the overall training needs of the candidate. Going forward we ask that the new policy be followed.

SFCP Supervision Policy
Supervision of training cases is expected to be conducted on a weekly basis by an SFCP Supervising Analyst until approval for graduation with the following exceptions:

Provision for Modified Frequency of Supervision:

If a candidate has a number of cases and/or has been in training for a number of years it may be appropriate to reduce the frequency of, or briefly interrupt supervision of one or two of his or her training cases that have proceeded for at least two years. Supervisors and candidates will take into account the candidate’s overall training experience when considering a reduction in the frequency of supervision on a given case. Options other than reducing frequency should be considered. If the candidate has learned as much as he or she can from the supervisor, a change of supervisors should be considered. If the pace of the case no longer requires weekly supervision, other cases could be discussed rather than reduce the frequency of supervision meetings. A supervisor may request consideration of modified frequency of supervision at a candidate’s annual PGC review where the committee and all of a candidate’s supervisors can consider the request in the light of the candidate’s overall training experience. The intent of this Modified Supervision Policy is to have a larger group, the PGC, assist the supervisor/candidate dyad in making this decision. Consideration of modified frequency of supervision is made on a case by case basis with each case considered individually by the PGC.

At a minimum, candidates must continue in at least one weekly supervision until approval for graduation, either with one supervisor on one or more cases or with alternating supervisors on different cases. Candidates who graduate before terminating a case are expected to resume supervision during that termination.

Unsupervised Work:

Candidates may be approved by the PGC to begin unsupervised cases after completing the first three years of seminars and subsequent to having three ongoing training cases in supervision. Approval for unsupervised work only applies to new cases, not to on-going training cases. Permission for unsupervised work is reserved for candidates who have demonstrated consistent ability to analyze as defined in Section VI C 3 g of the Policy & Procedure Manual.

About SFCP

The San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis was organized in 2007, combining the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute & Society, founded in 1941, with the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis, founded in 1991. The SFCP is a not for profit organization with more than 160 practicing analysts and more than 45 candidates (psychoanalysts in training).

The Center provides an extensive training program in psychoanalysis. The Center also sponsors a large, vibrant Extension Division which offers classes and seminars to mental health professionals as well as to the general public. In addition, it maintains Low / Moderate Fee Referral Services for adults, children and adolescents as well as providing other mental health services and programs for the general community.